Book support



R. H. DRAEGER BOOK SUPPORT Filed Dec. 18, 1935 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 El/PfETf1 Q DEHEGEB I 1 Au 9, 1938. R. H. DBAEGEVR Book SUPPORT) Filed Dec. 18,1935 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 A 1 R. H. DRAEGER 2,125,895

BOOK SUPPORT Filed Dec. is, 1935 s S heets-Sheet s J. mm

fiz/Psz r H. Dzmsqzza Patented Aug. 9, 1938 Rupert H. Draeger, UnitedStates Navy Application December 18, 1935, Serial No. 55,000

6 Claims.

(Granted under the act of March 3, 1883, as

This invention relates to a book support for holding an open book so asto expose two open pages in a proper position for making a photographiccopy.

The first object of this invention is to provide means for holding abook and exposing two open pages of a book in a plane, preferablyhorizontal, under a transparent medium while making a photographic copyand at the same time permit of adjustment for books of variousthicknesses and sizes without an appreciable displacement of the bookwhen the transparent medium is raised for the purpose of turning thepages, which convenience has not been accomplished in previouslydesigned book supports.

A further object of this invention is to provide two platens whichsupport the two portions of an open book and have the book coverssecured thereto; the platens being so hinged and connected that theraising of one results in a lowering of the other and vice versa. Thusit will be seen with this accomplishment that after the platens areadjusted in height for aparticular book, the changing thickness of eachof the two positions of the open book will automatically be compensatedfor, to keep the open pages in a plane as the pages are turned.

Another feature of this invention is to provide means automatically tocompensate for the lateral shift of the book pages which invariablytakes place as the pages are turned. This lateral shift amounts to thethickness of the. book and as the pages are turnedgradually moves thetwdopen pagesof a fixed book out of the center of the field of a fixedcamera. In the case of photographing book pages upon a completely filledframe of film such a shift would result in a portion of the film areabeing unused and a portion of the book notbeing copied. It is thereforeapparent that compensating for this lateral shift is most importantwhen. it is desired to use film' efficiently and have aseries ofuniformly spaced images side by side on strip filmforuse in readingmachines -or enlarging printers which move the film by uniform steps.)

in the book support herein disclosed, theplatens are hinged to acentralsupport at such an angle that the lowering or raising of eitherplaten results simultaneously in a lateral shift toward the' loweredplaten approximating the lateral movement of book pages when they areturned. The great variations in books not only as to size and thicknessbut also as to flexibility and stiffness of spines, makes it difiicultto adapt a rigid mechanical device to a book. In fact, a certain amendedApril 30, 1928; 370 0. G. 757) degree of automatic adjustment isnecessary if damage to the book is to be avoided.

The book support of this invention provides means for successivelyhandling the pages of an open book with a minimum of effort andattention on the part of the operator or photographer and embodies suchfeatures as a transparent cover glass hinged and counterbalanced.Furthermore, a magnetic cover glass release. which operates at thetermination of each exposure may be incorporated with the abovefeatures.

A further object of this invention is to provide the combination of abook support and a camera, or a book support, camera and lightingsystem, all connected up in a single electrical circuit. The circuitoperates simultaneously the camera shutter and the lighting system andwhen broken to terminate the exposure and extinguish the lights itautomatically raises the glass cover on the book support, so that thepage may be turned andthe glass again pressed down into position for thenext exposure. Due to this special feature of this invention, it thusbecomes possible to more rapidly photograph the successive pages of abook placed on the book support.

a In the accompanying drawings:

Fig. 1 is a plan view of the book holder partly broken away.

Fig. 2 is a front elevation of the book holder showing a book inposition to be photographed.

Fig. 3 is a central section elevation normal to the front of the bookholder.

Fig. 4 is a section on line 6-6 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 5 is an elevation of a platen and its guides.

Fig. 6 is a section at line tt of Fig. 1.

Fig.7 is a schematic diagram of the book support operatively connectedto the camera and. lighting device for automatic operation therewith.

In Fig. l a glass plate is shown at ill mounted in a frame it and hingedby extension arms' l2 to the shaft 53. Shaft l3 isattached to theverti-. cal support rods i l by'clamps l5. Bases it receive rods Hian-dlserve to attach the book support cover glass to the base plate l loSprings it are adjusted to impart an upward pivotal movement to theglass plate it in frame ll when the magnetic release 59 operates catch20. One method of adjusting spring I8 is illustrated in Fig. 6. Thespring It has one end secured in hole 2| of ring 22 which may be securedto shaft I3 in any of a number of orientations by means of a set screwplaced in threaded aperture 23 and engaging one of the recesses 24 insaid shaft I3. Arms 25,.

which may be flexible, having pads 26 are secured 5'5 to shaft i3providing stops to limit the upward swing of frame H.

In Fig. 2 are shown the platens 21 that support the two portions of abook 28 the open pages of which press firmly against glass plate It).Platens 21 are supported by rods 29 which are free to slide in theirguides 30 and 3|. Springs 32 provide a cushion for the platens andinsure the book pages being firmly pressed against the glass plate It!when it is in the horizontal position. Platens 2? are hinged to acentral support member 33 by levers 36, there being a limiting member 35at the end of each pair of levers 36,fixing their separation andmaintaining the vertical position of rods 29. The clamps 31 attach toplaten rods 29 and carry internally threaded pivot members 38 throughwhich passes the threaded adjustment rod 39 having right and left handthreads on its opposite ends and .a hand wheel 49 on one end. Theturning of adjustment rod 39 brings about a raising and lateral nearingor lowering and a separating of the platens 2! which adjustment isneeded to accommodate books of various thicknesses on the holder and atthe same time give just the proper space between the platens for thebook's spine. This adjustment is a constant for equal thickness booksand once set for a book does not have to be altered as the pages areturned.

Since the platens both pivot about the same point on central supportmember 33, when one platen is pushed down a given distance and the otheris thereby pushed up an approximately equal distance, there is also alateral component to the movement of the platens. The fact that oneplaten moves up just as far as the other moves down is important inpreserving equal pressure by the cover I6 on the two portions of theopen book regardless of how the location of the open pages in the bookis changed from cover to cover. Also, the lateral movement of eachplaten, which is substantially equal to the vertical movement and whichis away from the elevated and toward the lowered platen, is veryimportant for automatic adjustment of the position of the book in thefield of the camera as the pages are turned. This follows from the factthat when a book isopened to the first page, leaving the thick portionof the book on the right, the center-line of the two open pages is inoneposition, but shifts as the pages are turned until, when the end of thebook is reached, this center-line is at a distance substantially equalto the thickness of the book, tothe right of its original position. Atthe same time, the right platen has moved up and the left platen moveddown distances equal to the distance between the first and lastlocations in the book, which accounts for the need of equal vertical andhorizontal motions.

Hand wheel 4|, the shaft of which is threaded into support 33, exertspressure against bar spring 42 providing means of transmitting pressurebetween the levers 35 and the supporting member 33 thus bringing aboutfrictional resistance which tends to maintain them in a fixed position.

The tension springs 43 approximately counterbalance the weight of thebook being carried by the platens. -When one platen is raised and theother one lowered the spring attached to the raised platen, whichcarries the least weight, is slackened while the tension on thedepressed platen carrying the greater book weight is increased. Thestraps 44 serve to hold the backs of the book 28 firmly to the platens21 while the pages are being turned.

Fig. 1 shows the book support base plate I! attached to the camera table45 by thumb screws 46.

The construction and operation of the electromagnetic release is asfollows. Catch 20 has an extension arm 41 through which a rod 48 passes,to the lower end of which is attached an armature 49 within a solenoid59. Catch 20 is held against a stop 5| by the action of a helical spring52. Confined within the cylindrical hole through the solenoid 50, aroundrod 48, and held between the armature 49 and an end plate 53 is ahelical spring 54. When current is passed through the solenoid, thearmature 49 rises carrying with it rod 48 and compressing spring 54.Now, when the circuit through the solenoid is broken the armature 49 androd 48 fall with sufiicient force to cause nuts 55 to release the catch29 from frame II. a, spring 56 in the base of the electromagnet.

The electrical wiring diagram for the book support, camera shutterlights, relay and switch is shown in Fig. '7. Wires 6| connect to theelectrical power supply and one circuit to them, containing in series arelay 62, and electrically operated camera shutter 63 and a switch orpush button 64 is closed when the switch 64 is closed. Switch 64 is ofthe normally open type. When relay 62 is energized it closes anothercircuit connected to wires 6| which contains lamps 65 and solenoid 50 ofthe book support electromagnet l9. Thus it will be seen that, after thebook support cover has been brought into book contacting position, whenthe switch 64 is closed the camera shutter 63 is opened, the lamps 65 sothat when switch 64 is released, after the are lighted and theelectromagnet I9 is energized, so that when switch 64 is released, afterthe desired exposure has been made, the camera shutter closes, thelights go out and solenoid 50 is deenergized permitting the fall of rod48 and nuts 55 to trip the catch'28, automatically releasing thetransparent cover l0 and frame H from book contacting position awaitingthe turning to the next page to be copied.

The springs 51 pivot at 58 and carry the knob 59 which has a cylindricalportion adapted to protrude through openings 6| in platens 21. Theseopenings are so placed as to space equal portions of an inch from backto front on the platens and are labeled to indicate the height of a bookwhich would be centered in this direc tion upon the platens if placedagainst the protruding portions 68 as a stop.

The operation of the book support is as follows. The operator firstmeasures the height of the book, sets stop members 69 in the platenholes bearing this number and places the open book against these membersas a stop.

The backs of the book are now secured to the platens. by means of straps44. The frame II is drawn down and the rod 39 is adjusted until any openpages make firm contact with the glass plate, thus setting the holderfor this thickness of book. The frame is then released and the pages arenow turned to the first page to be copied, whereupon the frame is againdrawn down to the horizontal position where it will remain, being soheld by catch 20 engaging frame II. The camera switch 64 is now closedresulting in the copying of the two pages of the book. At thetermination of the exposure switch 64 is opened, and the electromagnet19 will be deenergized, tripping catch 29 and allowing frame II to re-This fall also is cushioned by means of turn to an elevated positiondetermined by stops 26, completing the cycle.

The operator now turns the page and pulls down the glass repeating theprocess until the desired number of book pages are photographed.

The invention described herein may be manufactured and used by or forthe Government of the United States of America for governmental purposeswithout the payment of any royalties thereon or therefor.

I claim:

1. A book support comprising two platens, means for keeping constant theaverage height of the two platens above any plane parallel to saidplatens when one of said platens is moved and common means for adjustingsaid average height of and for adjusting the distance between theplatens for accommodating books of varying thicknesses.

2. A book support having two platens and means for causing one to movein an upward direction when the other is moved in a downward direction,said means comprising common means for adjusting the average height ofsaid platens above any plane parallel to said platens and for adjustingthe distance between said platens for accommodating books for varyingthicknesses.

3. A book support having two platens and means for causing one to movein an upward direction when the other is moved in a downward .directionand means for automatically shifting said platens toward the side of thebook support upon which the downwardly moved platen is located, both ofsaid means comprising a means for adjusting the said platens toaccommodate books of varying thicknesses.

4. A book support comprising two platens, a cover, means for adjustingsaid platens to accornmodate a book of any given thickness between saidcover and said platens, and means for simultaneously separating saidplatens a distance substantially equal to the thickness of the givenbook when said platens are so adjusted as to hold said book between saidcover and said platens.

5. A book support comprising two platens, a support for each platen, alever for each support, a guide on one end of said lever, the supportbeing slidably mounted in said guide, a cushioning means between saidplaten and the corresponding support guide, and an adjustable connectionbetween said supports.

6. A book support comprising two platens, a support for each platen, alever for each support, a guide on one end of each of said levers, eachsupport being slidably mounted in its guide, a base, the other end ofeach of said levers being pivoted to said base, a cushioning meansbetween said platen and the corresponding support guide,

and an adjustable connection between said sup- 7

